Trudeau, Smith express sorrow after firefighter dies in Jasper National Park

HINTON, Alta. — Comrades of a firefighter from Calgary who died while on duty in Jasper National Park stood on the sides of a roadway on Sunday morning as a procession mourning his loss rode by.

Firefighters, some wearing yellow uniforms, others in orange, stood along the route in Hinton, Alta., east of Jasper National Park, side by side with members of the Canadian Armed Forces, in combat fatigues, who have been assisting fire crews battle the flames.

“Today we are mourning the loss of one of our own,” Alberta Wildfire said on the X platform, with photos of the sombre procession under grey skies.

A spokesperson with the wildfire service couldn’t say whether the firefighter’s remains were carried within one of the vehicles that were part of Sunday’s ceremony, but Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen later told an online news conference that he believed they were.

RCMP said they learned Saturday afternoon that a 24-year-old man with Alberta’s fire service was seriously injured by a falling tree while fighting an active fire northeast of Jasper. He was taken from the scene via a STARS air ambulance and later died.

Parks Canada, which has jurisdiction of firefighting in the park, said in a statement that the firefighter’s crew provided immediate first aid. The park’s rescue staff responded, the statement said, and together with the provincial crew used a wheeled stretcher to transport the injured firefighter to the nearest helipad.

The statement said the firefighter was flown to the Parks Canada operations compound in Jasper where the STARS helicopter was waiting, and that he was pronounced dead shortly after.

His name has not been released, but police have said he was a resident of Calgary and was based out of the Rocky Mountain House area, about 200 kilometres north of the city.

Loewen said information about the firefighter was being withheld out of concern for his family, but he said officials are working with them on releasing details. He also said the family would be eligible for the province’s Heroes’ Fund, a one-time, tax-free payment of $100,000 that recognizes the service of first responders.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he was heartbroken by the news of the firefighter’s death.

“He served Albertans with unwavering bravery, and his loss is deeply felt,” Trudeau said in a post on X.

“I’m keeping his family, friends, and his fellow firefighters in my thoughts.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also expressed her sadness at the tragic loss and offered condolences to the family and friends of the firefighter.

“We are forever grateful for the courageous wildland firefighters who risk their lives every day to protect others,” Smith said on X.

Thousands of people fled the Jasper townsite and park on July 22 because of the wildfires, which eventually spread into the community and destroyed one-third of its buildings.

An evacuation order for Jasper and Jasper National Park remains in effect. Parks Canada reported Saturday that the fire in the park was still burning out of control and was estimated to be 32,000 hectares.

“This dedicated person travelled to Jasper to help us, to help protect our town and our home. Our hearts ache for their family, their loved ones and their comrades,” Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said in a statement about the firefighter’s death.

Police said Occupational Health and Safety has been informed and will be investigating the man’s death.

The union of the firefighter who died — Alberta Union of Provincial Employees — issued a statement saying the death has left colleagues and fellow union members shocked and saddened. “We are also thinking of his crew members and other wildland firefighters who continue to put their lives on the line fighting this and other forest fires,” AUPE president Guy Smith said in the statement.

A little over a year ago, 19-year-old Devyn Gale, a wildfire fighter in British Columbia’s southern Interior, died after being hit by a falling tree.

Parks Canada said Saturday’s death “highlights the dangerous nature of wildland firefighting and the hazards that crew members encounter every day.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2024.

The Canadian Press